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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — electric
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ground — a position
  10. bass — low music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. face — to confront
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — of water
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — to drill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com